Braised Cider Pot Roast with Onions
Homemade Braised Cider Pot Roast with the most delicious cider spiked gravy! This roast is fork tender because it's slowly braised in the oven. Trust me; it melts in your mouth! The onion gravy is perfect over a bed of fluffy mashed potatoes or with rice!
Ingredients
- 1 2½-3 pound chuck roast
- 8 cloves garlic 2 minced + 6 whole
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 medium red onions cut into thick slices
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 1 ½ cups beef broth
- 1 cup homemade cider or store-bought
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- Fresh herbs I use about 5 sprigs of thyme + 1 sprig rosemary
- Prepared Sweet Potato Mash for serving
Instructions
- SEASON: Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 300ºF. Place the chuck roast on a clean surface. Using a paring knife, make 6 small ‘x’ cuts. Insert the garlic cloves int the cuts. Season generously with salt and pepper.
- SEAR: Heat a 3 quart or larger dutch oven (something oven-safe) on medium-high heat. Add the oil, and when hot, sear the meat for 5-6 minutes; make sure to sear all the sides. Remove to a plate.
- CARAMELIZE: Add the butter, lower the heat to medium and add the sliced onions to the pan. Cook and caramelize the onions for 5 minutes or until they pick up all the stuck-on bits. Add the minced garlic and push it around the pan for 30-45 seconds. Then add the flour and cook for 1 minute, stirring often.
- BRAISE: Pour in the broth, cider, Worcestershire, and mustard. Whisk to pick up any brown bits still stuck on the pan. Tuck in the herbs, and add the roast back to the pot. Cover with a lid and braise in the oven for 2½-3 hours or until the meat just falls apart. Shred slightly with a fork and serve over a bed of sweet potato mash with sautéed green beans roasted or roasted brussels sprouts or your favorite sides.
Notes
- To add veggies: Add 1 (16-ounce) bag of baby carrots and 1¼ pounds of baby Yukon gold potatoes during the last 1½ hours of braising. I usually serve this over mashed potatoes, so I skip the vegetables.
- If the gravy is thin after braising: make a cornstarch slurry with 1-2 tablespoons of cornstarch and a splash of water. Remove the roast from the dutch oven, bring the gravy to a simmer on the stove, and then pour in the slurry as you stir the gravy with a spoon. Let simmer for a few minutes to thicken. Repeat as needed to thicken further.
